Latest project: Refinishing an old General's desk from Fort Rucker

Product review: Formby's Furniture Refinisher
This product is awesome! It takes the finish off of wood without stripping it of color or raising the wood grain. I used it with steel wool and it took the finish off just like it was supposed to and left the wood in great condition. I still sanded the desk (photos to come shortly) to prep the surface and ensure uniformity of the finish.

Product review: Watco Danish Oil Finish
I wasn't sure how this product would work, being a 3-in-1 type of product (stain, seal and protect). I found it true to color and easy to work with. I applied it with a foam brush and used cheese cloth to wipe of the excess. This would be a great product to use for those little touch-up projects around the house. I will definitely be using it on my next project - a corner cabinet. 

Note: If you are trying to stain wood to a totally different color, I would probably use a different combination of products.  I hope to post more on this subject at a later date.

Hardwood floors and rugs can make for a slippery combination. But if you have as many rugs as I do, non-slip rug pads are a necessity - or at least they were.

Instead of using one of those ugly rug pads, try caulking the back of your rugs. Here's how I did it:

1. I used DAP clear premium indoor/outdoor sealant.
2. Using a caulk gun I made rows on the back of the rug. Thinking that the elevated rows would show once they were dry, or worse, that I might feel them once the rug was in place, I smoothed them down flat.
3. I let it dry for about 24 hours and voila! This rug literally doesn't move an inch from where I placed it on our hardwoods. Note to self: I probably could have done fewer rows in strategic places around the edge and middle since this is our kitchen rug and it gets a lot of traffic.
4. What I recommend to people who try this: Start with your smallest or most replaceable rug, just in case you don't like the results. Also, start with fewer rows-you can always add more. I don't know how this would work on other types of floors or other rug fibers, so please test a small spot before you go all out. I do not want to ruin anyones vintage floors or expensive rugs!

Easy and inexpensive! And the best part is that you don't have to worry about a rug pad peeking its ugly little head from beneath!

Update:
1. I found that the more traffic a rug gets, the more the rug holds to the floor (for low traffic areas I had to use more rows of caulking).
2. I washed this rug on cold and hung it to dry - it turned out beautifully. It did not alter the rows of caulking at all!

I am a copper fanatic! I've tried numerous cleaners/polishers and ran across this old-time recipe - lemon juice and salt. The citric acid has a chemical reaction with the patina and turns the copper shiny again. This flea market find started out almost black (I forgot to take a photo, but have one that really needs to be polished).  I use a paper towel lemon/salt mixture for basic cleaning and an soft toothbrush for the tough spots and hard to reach spots. No harsh chemicals and almost always in the kitchen!